Adopted Welshman Joe Ralls on his love of Cardiff City, what fans will not accept and why he is ready to lead derby fight
Friday 11th December 2020
The Bluebirds takes on Swansea City in the first South Wales derby of the season on Saturday afternoon and midfielder Joe Ralls is revved up for the battle
There are few players as ingrained into the fabric of Cardiff City Football Club as Joe Ralls.
The midfielder, who has been at the club almost a decade now, has been one of the most consistent performers this season, through the bad times and the good, and is undoubtedly one of Neil Harris' trusted lieutenants.
He is the exact type of person Bluebirds fans will be happy to see in the middle of the park when both Cardiff and Swansea City stride out to the middle at Saturday lunchtime.
The squad has seen a major overhaul in the last 12 months, since Neil Harris took charge, but a core group of leaders still remain.
Ralls has emerged to become one of the key figures in the dressing room in recent months and, following the dismal display against QPR earlier in the season, he had a few choice words for the players in the dressing room.
He knows all too well the standard expected of the demanding Cardiff City fans and, following a weak at limp performance in west London, he did not hesitate to remind the players what is completely unacceptable while wearing the blue of Cardiff City.
JOE RALLS:
"I've been at the club a long time now, I know what's expected," Ralls began. "I know what the fans want to see.
"They can accept bad performances sometimes, little blips in form, but QPR we got outfought and outrun and that is something that is not accepted at this football club.
"I don't think we have been outfought in a game since, we have just had a couple of bad performances. Since then, the boys have shown real fight, even the games we haven't gone out to win.
"The effort is there and on match days everyone is putting it in and trying to win their battles and that's what it is about sometimes.
"That's what football is about sometimes, going out there and winning your individual battles."
That statement is never truer as we head into a South Wales derby, where coming second best against your opposite number is not even a notion to bear thinking about.
Usually, players have a fairly accurate, and immediate, barometer of their performance from the vociferous Bluebirds supporters on match days, letting them no in uncertain terms if they are pleased with what they are seeing.
But in the absence of fans, the onus falls on senior players to get the changing room revved up and that responsibility will fall on the shoulders of Ralls, and others, ahead of Saturday's clash against arch-rivals Swansea City.
JOE RALLS:
"It's a lot different at the minute, without the fans," Ralls added.
"You know where you stand, generally, when the fans are there! You know whether you've done well or when you need to do better.
"Sometimes you've got to find that from within the changing room and we have got plenty of leaders, big characters in the dressing room, and we know when we are playing well or below standards.
"No one is scared to say that to each other in the dressing room and that's fine. It has to be said sometimes.
"QPR was one of those moments when something needed to be said from a few people just so everyone knew that performances like that first half are not acceptable at this club."
Ralls believes that dire QPR display was a bit of a reality check for this squad of players and, following a couple of nervy results thereafter, Cardiff are back on track.
But while the Bluebirds head into this fixture on the back of four impressive wins and brimming with confidence, Ralls himself has enjoyed a fine run of form.
His tenacity in the middle and bustling style of creativity at the business end of the pitch has been a massive asset and something which cannot be underestimated.
While the plaudits have been lavished on the attackers for scoring goals and the defenders for their impressive record of late, those doing the dog work in midfield can often be forgotten about.
But Ralls is certainly not someone who Cardiff fans take for granted. He really is one of their own, having joined the club way back in 2011.
Ralls' love of Cardiff City really shines through and it is that passion which will be so crucial heading into derby day, a fixture which he knows means so much to football fans in this part of the world.
So, having been here for so long, does he feel now feel almost like he has been adopted by the people of Wales?
JOE RALLS:
"Yeah, I do actually!," Ralls laughed. "I get that quite a lot actually, from the supporters.
"I love living in Wales, I love being at Cardiff City, I've been here all my career and it's something I'm really proud of.
"It's something I hope continues, because I love playing for this football club."
And there will be nothing sweeter for Ralls, following a draw and a defeat last term, than to earn that very first derby victory for the club he loves so dearly.
"All the boys know what local derbies are like, but this one is really special derby," he said of the derby.
"It’s a big game and there hasn’t been many of them in recent years. It's one we haven't won in a little while and we will be looking to try and win on Saturday.
"We lost and drew with them last season, so, let's be honest, it will be nice to get a win over them at some point this season – hopefully that can be Saturday.
"It’s a massively important game. We are well aware that it's a derby and just how much it means to everyone."
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